Water is a helpful thing
by VampireFrootloopsRule
Summary: Sally gives Percy a job to do, but will he be able to do it? Another Paul/Percy sort of bonding reveal here. I'm sure there are a lot out there, but I don't browse much anymore... Random title, help me come up with a new one?


Percy paced the living room anxiously, surely putting a dent into the fabric of the carpet below his bare feet. Oh why? Why did his mom have to task _him_ with telling _her_ boyfriend about the Olympians and everything else? He barely even _knew_ Paul Blowfish! Or whatever his real last name was. Heh admit actually take much time to learn the real last name of his moms boyfriend. If he had his way, Paul wouldn't be anywhere near his mother.

But... He made her happy, and that was more important than Percy's feelings about his mother dating, no matter how weird it was. But how to break it to him? Surely just spitting it out wouldn't be enough. He surely hadn't believed it when Grover and Chiron told him when he was twelve, and he has seen the Fury with his own eyes.

"Percy? Sally? Anyone home?" Paul knocked on the door, calling through the thin wood to gain entrance.

"Now or never." Percy mumbled to himself, walking up to the door and ignoring the little voice in his head that wished it to just be _never_. He reached out, hand clasping the doorknob for a moment like it was the last thing in the world holding him together.

"Hello?" Paul called again, startling Percy out of his troubled mind.

"I'm coming, just- just let me find the key." with that, he unlocked the deadbolt and let the disheveled Paul enter his apartment. He was dripping wet, apparently from the storm the teenager hadn't noticed was raging outside.

"It's raining cats and dogs out there!" Paul laughed amicably, shivering and blowing warm air into his freezing hands to make himself warm. "I'm surprised there's still power running here."

Percy closed the door silently as he glanced out a window in the back of the apartment, barely visible from his position, but he could still see the streaks of water and flashes of lightning. "Huh, guess this old apartment isn't as bad as it-" he cut himself off when the power went out as he spoke, and he sighed in exasperation. "Seems..."

Paul laughed at the irony of the situation and shed his wet raincoat. "Sorry, Percy. Guess we jinxed it. Your mom home?"

The teenager shook his head, "She had to work late and said we should start dinner without her." He thrust a thumb in the direction of the kitchen, "I've got some Ramon Noodles on the stove if you want some."

The older man raised an eyebrow at the boys choice of food. "Ramon Noodles? Seriously?"

"Hey! I'm only 15, I can't cook worth beans!" Percy retorted back indignantly, but the smile on his face showed he wasn't offended or anything. So, yes, he didn't _completely_ hate Mr. Blowfis. In fact, in the short amount of time he'd gotten to know the man, they had come to a sort of strange relationship, a silent respect for one another. Percy for being able to keep his mother happy on his own, and Paul for winning Sally's heart. A strange arrangement, but it was theirs nonetheless.

"That would explain the burning smell, then."

The boy sniffed, then muttered a curse under his breath as he rushed over to the stove to take the pan off. He hissed, hands brushing accidentally against the hot metal in his haste. "Dang it, I got burned." he muttered to himself.

"Put some cold water on it." Paul suggested, turning the water on so that it could be at a good temperature for the hurting boy.

Meanwhile, Percy was having a mini heart attack. "Wh-why would you say to do that?" surely Paul wouldn't know that the water would heal him... Would he?

Paul, ignorant of the boys inner-turmoil, gave him a dry look. "Because the cold temperature will make the burn hurt less. Come on, Percy, I'm sure you're mom has told you that before."

In truth, she had, but he had completely forgotten that it was a remedy everyone used, rather than exclusively just children of Poseidon. He laughed nervously, bringing his hands under the water. "Right, I remember now."

The teacher raised an eyebrow at the teen, debating on confronting him about his odd behavior, but decided better of it and went to get the first aid kit. "I'll be right back." he mumbled, leaving the teen alone.

In the meantime, Percy had to make a conscious effort to keep his affinity with water to heal his wounds, at least until Paul could wrap it up. Geez, what was he going to say? He knew he had to give up his secret, it was his job since his mom had started to date the man. But...he had never been good with words, he could just see himself messin it up like a cliché Disney movie gone wrong.

"What's up with you, lately?" Paul returned from the closet with the first-aide supplies and set them on the table, gesturing for Percy to sit down. Gently, he took the child's hand and begun to wrap it with gauze. "You've been frowning and zoning out more than usual, something bothering you?"

Dang, Paul was perceptive. The son of Poseidon bit his lip in contemplation, trying to keep himself from just blurting it out.

"You know the stories of the Olympians, right?" he began tentatively. He tried to recall how Chiron had explained everything to him, but it had been _years_ since that conversation had taken place. Oh well, he'd just have to wing it.

"Like... The gold winning teams? Every four years? Yes, why?" the teacher wasn't sure where this line of conversation was going, but he went with it anyway. He knew kids had a way of getting at what they wanted, even if it took ten minutes around the bush before you got there. However, he was a bit surprised when the boy shook his head no. Paul finished bandaging the hand, and gave all his attention to the fidgeting Percy in front of him.

"Not the olympics, the Olympians. You know, the Greek gods and all that." Percy paused, saw the older man nod, then continued. "Hypothetically speaking, what do you think would happen if those gods were real and, oh I don't know, were still here today. Hypothetically speaking, of course." he waved his hand as if to dismiss the fact that what he was saying was truth.

Paul thought about it for a moment, thinking this was simply a homework question or something of the sort. "Hypothetically? Well, they would probably still do the same things they've always done; cause trouble, have affairs, that kind of stuff."

Percy chuckled, pleased that Paul had hit the nail right on the head. "Yeah, that sounds about right..."

"Is that what's wrong? Homework? Percy I told you, I'm happy to help you read the questions or whatever you need. You don't have to worry about asking me, I have a bit of dyslexia myself."

The younger was taken aback. "You do?"

Paul nodded, "Yes, but I learned to cope with it. There are tricks to reading that I could show you if you have the time."

Percy smiled. "I'd love that! But-that actually wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about..."

"You aren't going to tell me you dinged up my car, are you?"

"What? No! I-" he took a deep breath to collect himself. "It's nothing like that... Back to the Olympians, what would you do if they were...real."

"Percy, you asked me that already."

The boy shook his head, "Not what _they_ would do. What would _you_ do."

"Why are you asking me this?" Paul was confused beyond belief, and he was becoming irritated at this round-about approach. He wanted answers. "Just spit it out, I won't-."

"I'm a demigod."the words rushed out of the teens lips before he could stop them, and he covered his mouth with his hands immediately after. Outside, thunder could be heard that made Percy shiver. Now was _not_ the time to be struck by lightning... He gauged the mans response, trying to figure out where to go from there. Seeing that he still had his total and stunned attention, he tried to explain a bit more.

"I know it's hard to believe, but trust me, the gods are real. And you couldn't have been any more right when you said they would cause troubles and have... Affairs... The product of those affairs are demigods, just like in the old stories."

"Percy," Paul begun slowly, calmly. "You do realize how insane this sounds, right?"

Percy nodded, but he didn't back down. His sea-green eyes gained a feirce fire of determination. He was going to make Paul believe, his mom was counting on him. "I know, but I'm not crazy, and I'm not lying. I-I can prove it!" in a rush, he stood from the table and rushed back to the sink, painfully aware of the pitying eyes on his back. He turned on the faucet, and waited for the sink to fill up with the clear water that always helped Percy, no matter the problem. He was counting on that, now.

Paul approached the child, trying to decide if he should indulge the fantasy any longer, or call a mental hospital immediately. Or maybe he should call Sally, she'd know what to do...

"Look!" Percy called, turning off the water and pointing into the sink. "My dad is Poseidon, here is proof."

"Percy, I think we should-"

Words died in the teachers throat as the water began to rise and take on the shape of a trident. It rose into the air, elongating into a full-fledged weapon within moments. Seconds later, Percy stood holding the liquid as if it were completely solid, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The smile on his face showed a bit of pride since he had never attempted anything of this scale with his abilities yet. He was glad it had worked, or the affects of him raising his hands would have looked insane, and completely lame.

"You see? I wasn't lying, I really am a demigod." he released the trident and it returned to the sink where it flew down the open drain.

Paul opened his mouth, making himself look like a fish, a blowfish to be precise. He stumbled back to sit at the table again, brain working furiously to comprehend what he had just seen.

"I know it's a lot to take in but... You at least believe me, don't you?"

Paul nodded slowly, closing his mouth as he swallowed. "Either I'm going crazy, or this is really happening. And I don't think I'm crazy, so..." he nodded quickly, starting to come to terms with this new information. "Yeah, yeah I think I believe you."

Percy's grin widened, happy that his mom would be able to be proud of him for telling Paul. And not going to the mental hospital, because that would certainly have been a good response to all this. "That's really, really great. Mom will be so happy."

Paul frowned, "She knows about this?"

"Of course. Now...how's about that reading help?"

The teacher laughed at the not-so-subtle change in conversation topics, but decided he would gladly take the distraction to make sense of everything. "Sure thing, Percy, sure thing."

**A/N: how's that? I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would finish this oneshot that I've been working on for a month. First thing of the new year, I think, and most certainly my first PJO fic. I'm sorry if I messed anything up, it's been three or four years since I've read about Paul, and there wasn't much to begin with so...yeah. Please tell me how to improve, if you can. Review? And maybe even look at my other stuff? Maybe?**

**And now to sleep, it's 2:50 and I'm tired...ZZZzzzzzz...**

**Muses: we don't own PJO!**


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